Bowling pin respotting mechanism



Sept. 23, 1952 G. J. SCHMIDT 2,611,612

v BOWLING PIN RESPOTTING MECHANISM Filed July 22, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 lNVENTOR GOTTFRIED J. SCHMIDT BYf my ATTORN EY Sept. 23, 1952 G.J. SCHMIDT 2,611,612

BOWLING RIN REsPoTTING MECHANISM Filed July 22, 1947 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 FIG. 3 FIG. 5

SUPPLY INVENTOR GOTTFRIED J. SCHMIDT Patented Sept. 23, .1952

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l,

Y 1 y I 2,611,612

'BWLINd PIN REsPo'r'rING MECHANISM 'Gottfried J. Schmidt, Pearl River, N. Y.,passignor f to American Machine & FoundryCompany, a corporation of'New Jersey Application July 22, 1947, Serin No. 762,575

Thisinvention relates to improvements in automatic Vpin-setting apparatus for bowling alleys, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus for gripping;I lifting and respotting bowling pins on a bowling alley.

In bowling if, 'after the first ball is thrown, all of the pins are not knocked over and there remain standing one or more pins, a second ball is required to be thrown. Because of the impact of the first ball and the falling pins, thepins which remain standing are sometimes displaced with respect to their original position. Before the second ball is thrown, it is necessary to remove the fallen pins. This may be accomplished by mechanism which gripsand lifts the standing 17 claims. (c1. 27?.;42)

pins above the alley whilethe fallen pins are swept from the alley. The :liftedpins'are then replaced on the bowling alleyin. exactly the same position they occupied beforerbeing so lifted.` w In automatic lbowling pin-spottingand 11e-spotting machines, it is desirableto have -bowlingpin engaging, grippingand klifting apparatus which can handle standing bowling pins `irrespective of the distance they have been displaced rfrom their originalspotted position after a bowling ball has been thrown. Various efforts have'beenmade to develop apparatus which will have as wide a pin gripping range over the alley as possible. As far as I know, however, no one-has ever approached this problem with the idea of llingin the areas between the handles of standing bowling pins so that the pins will be rmly gripped when-the pin gripping means are elevated. Y l The methodlof gripping'the handlesof standing pins by lling in the area between pins has the advantage that the standing bowling pins are not displaced when being replaced-on the alley in the saine position they were before being engaged, gripped andlifted aboveA the alley to-permit the fallenpins to be removed from the alley. Another advantage of my apparatus is that, by employing pneumatic pin gripping means wear and damage to the pins are minimized.

The pin gripping mechanism -that I have devised also has the `advantagethat since no hard surfaces come into contact with the bowling pins the pin grippers operate quietly.

An additional advantage of my invention is that it is capable of picking upa pinfanywhere across the entire'width of the alley.

Another object of my invention is to provide a. plurality of devices which will be interlocked in the space between the standing pins to thereby eiiect a gripping action with-thestanding bowlingpms. l

' Other objects and features of the invention will.

appear asy the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses. In the accompanying drawings, which form a part'of this specication, like characters of reference have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional front elevation of a bowling pin respottingtable illustrating the pin gripping members during pin gripping action;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the respotting table showing the general arrangement of a plurality of pin gripping members in the respotting table;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the valve employed for controlling the inflation and dellation of the gripping members; y f

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional plan view of the respotting' table taken on line 4-4 of Fig. l, illustrating the gripping of the necks of two bowling pins bythe surrounding inflated pin gripping members; and ti Fig. 5 is a sectional front elevation showing the detailed construction of a single pin gripping device.V Y f To accomplish ,my objective of providing a bowlingr pin gripping and lifting device which fills in the area between thepins to effect a gripping action with the necks of standing bowling pins, I have provided asan embodiment of one form of my invention a plurality lof expandable and contractable pin handle grippers D shown in Fig. 1. The pin handle grippers D are slideably supported in guides 34 and 36 secured to the bottom of an air chamber C. Said air chamber C forms the upper portion of a vertically moving table T which is composed of a top section' I2, a bottom section I4, the front and rear sections I6 and the two side sections I8.

AThe table T is moved up and down by guide Y shoes 20 which are xedly connected to the side sections I8 and are slidably supported in' the guiderails 22. The guide rails 2,2 .arernounted on the kickbacks K of a bowling alley A, Fig. 2. Secured to the upper ends of said guide shoes 20 are cables 24 which raise' and Alower the table T in'proper timed relationship by suitable mechanism such as that shown in U. S. Patent 2,208,- 605, issued to G. J. Schmidt on July 23, 1940, to grip, raise and replace standing bowling pins on a bowling alley.

With reference to Fig. 5, each of the pin gripping devices D consists of a hollow member whichv has a flange 25 at its upperend and has a solid extension 2l at its lower end. At the upper part of the solid extension there are two or more ports 28 which connect the interior of hollow member 26 to the inside of a suitable inflatable bag 39 secured by clamp ring 32 to member 26. The inflatable bags may consist of any suitable material such as rubber or canvas. The tubes 25 are slidably supported in bearing brackets 34 and 36 secured respectively to the top and bottom of center section i4 of table T.

Slidably supported in the hollow portion of member 2t is a rod 33. The rods 38 have Aa suit able cut out portion 39 formed at one end which coacts with the sliding members 29, to act as a valve between chamber C and the inflatable bags 30.

The other ends of rods 38 are supported by brackets 40 secured to the inside of top section l2 of table T, -as shown in Fig. 5. Suitable springs 42, mounted between support brackets 40 and the anged part of members 26, exert 1a yieldable downward pressure on the members 26 to normally keep them in a lowered position, Fig. 5.

When the table T is Alowered Iany standing bowling pins P will raise the members 26 as shown in Fig. l. The springs 42 cause members 26 to return to normal lowered position as soon as table T has replaced the gripped pins on the alley and is raised, lifting members 26--21 out of engagement with the standing pins P.

When the head of a standing bowling pin P engages with the solid extension 2l of member 26 it causes the hollow tube member 26 to slide in bearings 34, 36, thereby compressing spring 42 in the manner shown in Fig. l.' When the member or tube 26 moves upwardly it closes on" the slitted opening 39 (Fig. 5) and thereby prevents any air of fluid passing from chamber C through the slitted opening 39 into the tube 26. Thus the inflatable bag 30 of any slidable member 2B which has been raised by a standing pin P to .an elevated position will not be inflated in the manner hereinafter described.

By referring to Fig. 2, it can be seen that a plurality of gripping devices D cover the entire width of the alley and as much of the pin spotting area lengthwise thereof as is deemed necessary to cover all possible lateral `and longitudinal displacement of standing bowling pins. The heavy dotted circles in Fig. 2 represent the pin spots on the bowling alley A.

A suitable valve shown in Fig. 3 is provided for controlling the ventry and discharge of fluid into and from the chamber C. The valve V, supported by suitable brackets 43 sho-wn in Fig. 3, consists of a cylinder 4'1 having a piston 5U slidably mounted therein. The piston 50 has two bands, 52 and 54 which are adapted to close and open the ports 56, 58 and 69 when actuated thereby controlling the -ow of fluid through the Valve. An outward force is applied to the piston 50 by spring 5l to maintain cam roller 49 in engagement with an actuating cam 44. The cam roller 4-9 is mounted on one end of an actuating rod projecting from pist-on B. The actuating cam 44 is fixedlymounted on shaft 45 which also has mounted thereon a sprocket 46. Rotary movement is imparted to the sprocket 46 by means of a sprocket chain 48 thereby causingcam 44 to rotate at predetermined intervals in the direction indicated by the arrow. The chain 48 is driven at predetermined intervals from a suitable source (not shown) .such as the main shaft `of a bowling pin setting machine in proper time relationship with the operating mechanism for the rest of the bowling pin setting machine,

The two bands 52 and 54 on piston 5l), are so spaced that when band 52 covers opening 56, as shown in Fig. 3, fluid under pressure such as air is allowed to flow through the supply port 53 from a suitable source of supply into port 69, through supply line 62. The supply line 62 is connected with four pipe lines 64 (Figs. 1 and 2) mounted on the table T. The pipe lines 64 are connected to four manifolds 66 secured to the sides I'B of table T and conducting the air received from conduit 62 through pipes 64 into the chamber C. Openings 6B, Fig. 1, in the two side sections I9 allow the air to pass from the said manifolds 66, into chamber C and on through the openings 39 of the split ends of rods 38 into the hollow part of members 26 and out through ports 28 to inflate rubber 4bags 30. When inflated, the rubber bags 30 interlock with -one another and fill in the area between standing bowling pins thus effecting Ia gripping action with the necks of the standing bowling pins P in either spot or oifspot position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The principle of locking the depending bags 30 ag-ainst free lateral movement and iilling in the area between standing pins to effect a gripping action with standing bowling'pins has'the advantage that the gripping range is alley wide and thereby effects a maximum coverage of the alley. Y

The front and rear sections i6 and the two side sections I8 of table T extend down far enough so that when the bags are inflated they are conned to a restricted area and create enough pressure to pick up the standing pins P. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the lower portions of the two side.. sections I8 are also shaped to -conform'to the 'general arrangement of the rubber bags 30 whenL inflated.

The operation of my invention may be brieiiy described as follows:

After a player has thrown his first ball and knocks down some of the pins, the table T is lowered by means of Vcables 24. The pins P which remain standing, cause any members 26 with which they engage to rise due to the lowering of the table, as shown in Fig. 1. When a member 26 is raised in this manner, the hollow tube 2E slides over the slitted opening 39 thus closing off chamber C from the expandable bag 30 at the end of the member 26.

Cam 44, which is driven by means of sprocket chain 48 in timed relation with the lowering and raising of table T, will be in the position shown in Fig. 3 when the table T has reached its lowermost position of travel; This position allows the piston 59 to move outward under pressure of spring 5i so that nui-d under pressure can travel from a suitable source of supply through ports 58 and 69 into chamber C. From there it travels through the slitted openings 39 into the innatab-le bags 36. The bags 30 attac-hed to the hollow members 26 which have been raised by standing bowling pins P will not be inflated when the other bags 30 between the standing bowling pins P are lnnated as shown in Fig. 1.

The inflated bags 3D lock and grip the standing pins P so that when the table T is lifted, the standing pins P are also elevated a-bove the alley. While the standing pins P are thus held in an elevated position suitable apparatus, such yas shown in U. S. Patent 2,250,503 granted to R. E. Rundell' on July 29, 1941, clears the alley of fallen pins and bowling balls.

The table T is then lowered and respots the pins held by the rubber bags 30 in the same poraised above the alley. When the table T reaches its lowermost position, cam 44, Fig. 3, will have rotated and moved piston 50 into the-cylinder 41 softhat band 54now `coverssupply port 58 and leaves exhaust port 56 open. The rubber bags 3l) may be deflated either by the natural tendency of the material out of which the bag is made (such as rubber) to contract, or suction if desired may be employed to collapse the bags 30. In either case the fluidfcontained in the bags 30passes out through exhaust port 56. As the table T is raised, any gripping devices D which have been pushed up by standing pins P are now pushed down by' springs 42 sothat all gripper devices will be in a down position ready for the next respotting operation.

The invention above described may be varied in construction within the scofpe of the claims, for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible vembodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precisedetails-'of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

l. In a bowling .pin setting machine, apparatus for engaging, gripping and lifting standing bowling pins above a bowling alley comprising, a platform mounted above the pin bed of a bowling alley for vertical movement with respect thereto, a plurality of inflatable members depending from said platform, means constructed to lower the platform to bring said depending members'to a position between standing bowling pins, a source of fluid under rpressure, and means connecting said source of uid to said depending members to expand said members to ll in the area surrounding the necks of the bowling pins 'and thereby effect a gripping action around the necks of standing bowling pins.

2. Apparatus for engaging,V gripping and elevating standing bowling pins, said apparatus having a platform movable toward and away from the bed of a bowling alley, inflatable members depending from said platform, a source of fluid under pressure, means connecting said source of` fluid to said members, a device for lowering said members between the necks of standing bowling pins, and |a control for releasing ud from. said source into .said members to ll in the area between the standing pins by inflating said members until they expand into gripping with the standing bowling pins.

3. Apparatus for engaging, gripping and lifting bowling pins above a bowling alley comprising, a frame mounted for movement toward and away from the bed of a bowling alley, a plurality of tube-like inflatable members depending from said frame, a slidable mount for connecting each of said depending members to said `frame to allow said members to move upwardly individually when thehead of a bowling pin is engaged as the frame is lowered toward the bowling alley,

` and apparatus for inflating and deating said members tobring said members into and out of gripping relationship with the sides of standingv bowling pins in response to the movement of said frame to elevate and replace on the bowling alley the gripped bowling pins. Y

4. Apparatus for gripping bowling pins consisting of, a plurality of inflatable members constructed and arranged to contact each other upon inflation thereof, apparatus for lowering said inflatable members between standing pins on a bowling alley, apparatus for intl-ating' said memcontact 6. bers to eiect a gripping action between the outside of said members and the standing bowling pins after said members have been lowered, and means for elevating said inflated-members to lift the gripped bowling pins above the alley.

5. Apparatus for gripping bowling pins consisting of a plurality of depending inatable bags, a support from which said-bags depend, a casement connected to said support and surrounding the inflatable bags, pressure apparatus for filling said bags with fluid until they engage with the easement and standing bowling pins to effect a gripping action around-the necks of the bowling pins among which said bags have been lowered, and apparatus for lifting'said support andy said inflated bags with the gripped bowling pins above the alley to permit fallen pins to be removed from the alley, and then lowering the gripped pins back on the alley after the fallen pins have been removed therefrom.

6. Apparatus for gripping, lifting and replacing standing on spot and off spot pins on a bowling lalley comprising a framework constructed `and arranged to be positioned over the bed o-f a bowling alley where bowling rpins are spotted, asupport for'said framework movable toward and away from the bedof abowling alley, depending devices carried by said framework land being of such number and dimensions as to substantially ll inthe area between standing bowling pins, means for eiecting lateral movement of -at least portions of at least some of said devices to bring them into contact with each other and with standing bowling pins, andmeans for fixing said devices with respect to each other and the standing .bowling pins to effect a grip thereon to allow said standing pins to be elevated above the alley and replaced thereon in the same position they occupied before being elevated.

7. In a bowling pin setting and resetting machine, apparatus for engaging,` gripping and'lifting standing bowlin'gpins which consists of a support adapted to travel towards and away from thebed of a bowling alley, a plurality of exp-andable members depending from said support, a device for expanding said members to effect an equal pressure against all standing bowling pins to prevent relative movement between the pins, a wall surrounding said members for limiting the outward expansion of said members to thereby effect a gripping action on the pins, a separate upwardly yieldablel mounting for each of said members to allow said members to independently yield upwardly when they engage with the head of a standing bowling pin while allowing the other members to descend between the standing pins, and mechanism for moving said support tnlnivards and away from the bed of the bowling a ey. Y k

' 8. Apparatus for gripping bowling pinsV consisting of a plurality of expandable members, apparatus for lowering said members among bowling pins standing 'on a bowling alley, a yieldable support enabling each of said members to individually slide upwardly when engaging the top of a standing bowling pin to prevent said pins from being toppled byl said members, mechanism for expanding said membersto apply equal pressure simultaneously to all sides of the pins to therebyl effectk a gripping action with the standing bowling pins, and apparatus for elevating said expanded members to lift the gripped bowling pins above'the alley and replace the lifted pins on the alley in the same position they occupied before being lifted above the alley,

9. Apparatus for engaging,` gripping, lifting, and replacing standing'bowling pins on a bowling alley comprising, a support, mechanism' for moving said support towards and laway from the bed of a bowling alley, a plurality of members suspended from said support adapted and arranged to descend to v'lll ini` the area between standing bowling pins without moving the standing pins or the other members, a mounting for each member permitting the membersfto be individually pushed out of the way upon engagement with the top of a bowling pin, said members being of such number and dimensions as to substantially fill in the area between standing bowling pins, means foreiecting lateral movement of at least portions of at least some of said members to bring them into contact with each other and with standingbowling pins, and means for xing said members with respect -to each other and the standing bowling pins to effect a grip thereon to allow said standing pinsto be elevated above the alley and replaced thereon in the same position they occupied before being elevated. I i

10. Apparatus for engaging, gripping, lifting, and replacing standing bowling pins on a bowling alley, comprising, a support, mechanism for automatically moving said support towards-and away from the bed of a bowlingalley, a plurality of expansible members suspended from said support adapted and arranged to descend in the area between the standing bowling pins, means allowing said members to be pushed out ofthe way upon engagement with the top of a standing bowling pin, apparatus for expanding and rigidly fixing said suspended members against lat-eral movement after they have been lowered amongstanding bowling pins to therebyeflect a gripping relation with the standing bowling pins, and a control apparatus timed with. the lowering and raising of said Support controlling said expanding and xing apparatus to cause said suspended members to become iixed and free in timed relationship with the movements 'of said support.

l1. Apparatus for engaging, gripping, lifting, and replacing standing bowling pins on a bowling alley, comprising, a support, apparatus for lowering and raising said support, `a .plurality of pin engaging members hanging from said support, apparatus mounting each of said 1nem`x2 ersk for individual yieldable movement to allow each member to individually-slide up if it engages with the top of a standing bowling pin, said members being of such number and dimensions as to substantially fill in the area between standing bowling pins, means for effecting lateral movement of at least portions of at least some of said members to bring them into contact with `each other and with standing bowling pins, and means for fixing said members with respect to each other and the standing bowling pins to effect a grip thereon to allow said standing pins to be elevated above the alley and replaced thereon in the same position they occupied before being elevated.

l2. Apparatus for gripping, lifting and replacing bowling pins on a bowling Aalley comprising a support, a plurality ofpin engaging members expandable at their lower end extending downwardly from such support, mechanism for moving such support towards and` away from the bed of a bowling alley, means mounting said members so as to be individually pushed out of the way upon engagement witha standing :bowling pin,

mechanism for expanding the lower ends of saidv members to bring said members into contact with both on spot and ol spot standing bowling pins with equal pressure on'all sides of said pins and thereby effect a gripping action with the standing pins, and mechanism for releasing said grip upon the standing bowling pins after they have been replaced on the bowling alley.

13. Apparatus for gripping, lifting and replacing standing bowling pins on a bowling alley, comprising a support, apparatus for moving said support towards and away from the bed of a bowling alley, a plurality of members having expandable lower ends for engaging with standing bowling pins, the said lower ends of said members Abeing constructed for free lateral movement in all directions, means for slidably mounting said members to allow them to be moved out of the way upon engagement with a standing bowling pin, and apparatus for expanding the lower laterally movable ends of said members to effect a gripping action with the sides of standing bowling pins. Y '1 14. Apparatus for gripping, lifting and replacing standing pins on a bowling alley comprising a support mounted for movement toward and away from the pin bed of a bowling alley, mechanism for moving said support towards and away from the bowling alley, a plurality of members having expandable pin engaging sections suspended from said support, a yieldable mounting for each member permitting each member to be individually pushed upwardly with respect to said support when brought into engagement with the head of a standing bowling pin, means for preventing expansion of the expandable sections of members raised by engagement with a standing bowlingpin, and apparatus for expanding the expandable sections of members not raised by engagement with standing bowling pins to a point where they engage bowling `pins with equal pressure from all sides'to thereby effect a gripping action with the sides of the standing bowling pins.

l5. In a machine for spotting-and respot'ting bowling pins on a bowling alley, apparatus for engaging, gripping, lifting and replacing standing bowling pins on a bowling alley, saidapparatus having a support, a plurality of members suspended from said support, devices associated with the lower ends of said members for engaging both on spot and off spot pins, mechanism for lowering said support to lower said devices between standing bowling pins, and mechanism for interlocking saiddevices by laterally moving said devices into contact with eachother and with the necks of standing bowling pins to effect a gripping action with the necks of the standing bowling pins preliminary to lifting said standing bowling pins above the alley and releasing said devices from interlocking after the pins have been replaced on the bowling alley.

16. In a machine for spotting and respotting bowling pins on a bowling alley, apparatus for engaging, gripping, lifting and replacing standing bowling pins on a bowling alley, said ap,- paratus having a support, a plurality, 'of members suspended from said support and having. the lower ends thereof laterally movable, mechanism for eecting lateral movement of said-,lower ends into contact with each other and with the necks of standing bowling pins for interlocking with each other and with the necks of standing bowling pins to thereby effect a gripping action around the handles of the standing bowling pins, and mechanism for raising and lowering said 9 l o members to lift and replace standing bowling pins on an alley.

17. In a machine for spotting and respotting bowling pins on a bowling alley, apparatus for engaging, gripping, lifting and replacing standing bowling pins on a bowling alley, said apparatus having a support, a plurality of members suspended from said support and having theii1 lower ends laterally movable, a yieldable mounting for each of said vmembers allowing said members to individually move upwardly when engaging with the head of a standing bowling pin, mechanism for moving said members towards and away from the bed of a bowling alley to lift and replace bowling pins on a bowling alley, means for eectng lateral movement of said lower ends into contact with each other and with the necks of standing bowling pins for interlocking with each other and with the necks of standing bowling pins, and mechanism for preventing interlocking of members raised upwardly by engagement with the head of a standing bowling pin.

GOTTFRIE'D J. SCHMIDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number n Name l Date 1,999,491 Vannucci Apr. 30, 1935 2,300,802 Parra et al. Nov. 3, 1942 2,308,209

Schmutzer et al. v Jan. l2, 1943 Y 

